Apparatus and method for storing, organizing, and carrying commom items which can be removably attached to an aircraft tray table

ABSTRACT

A portable organizing device is provided, which further comprises a connecting mechanism for removably attaching the device to a tray table commonly found on commercial airliners. This device can be used to secure or contain items commonly carried by travelers, such as pens, tissues, medicines, books, and playing cards, and can be folded and carried as a small handbag, which can also be used to transport the same items. The connecting mechanism can be comprised of straps which further comprise VELCRO for attaching one strap to another around the tray table.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit to provisional application No. 60/883,096, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention resides within the art of portable organizers. More specifically, the present invention is directed toward a portable organizer, which can be removably attached to a standard fold-down tray table, commonly found aboard most commercial aircraft, and can also be used and carried as a standard handbag.

BACKGROUND

Many portable organizers exist on the market today, which can be mounted in any number places. Some of these organizers are designed for use in the home or office, but many others are designed for use in vehicles, particularly cars. Additionally, many recent car models are equipped with organizers for holding glasses, compact discs, coins, and drinks in cans or cups. Generally, these organizers are left in the car, though there are a few notable exceptions. Issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,763,986 by Santos et al. teaches a travel tote bag for use in a vehicle, which can be mounted to either the front or back of a standard bucket seat, commonly found in cars, and can be folded into a typical handbag.

It can be reasonably assumed that air travelers would also benefit from the availability and use of portable organizers. Such a portable organizer can be used to carry and store many common items carried by travelers. Currently, many passengers are forced to access these items from their luggage stored in overhead storage bins, which can be inconvenient and even dangerous while the aircraft is in motion. Furthermore, such an organizer can be helpful when passing through security checkpoints found in airports, because it could allow the user to store and organize all of the items they would currently carry on their person in a way that would allow the items to be easily scanned like any other handbag.

Unfortunately, the Santos device, and other similar devices, cannot be easily converted for use by air travelers. The reason being, the Santos device is attached to the back of a car's bucket seat by a first strap affixed around a headrest at the top of the seat and a second strap which is affixed around the bottom of the seat. This type of attachment mechanism would be unacceptable for use with seats commonly found on commercial airliners, because it would infringe on the rights of the traveler sitting in the seat to which the portable organizer is attached.

Fortunately, most commercial airliners provide a tray table for each passenger upon which beverages can be served and the passenger can use for any number of other purposes. These tray tables typically are attached to the back of the seat directly in front of the air traveler where it can be folded down for use, or are sometimes contained within the armrest of the air traveler's seat. These tray tables, particularly those attached to the back of the seat directly in front of the air traveler; provide an excellent platform upon which a portable organizer can be mounted, while not interfering with the rights of the passenger whose seat the tray table is mounted. While the present apparatus is discussed as being used with tray tables found on commercial airliners, it could be also used with similar tray tables not located on aircraft.

What is needed is a portable organizer that can easily be carried by air travelers in the form of a carry-on handbag when closed, but which can also have the ability to be opened and removably attached to a standard tray table found on most commercial aircraft, facilitating easy access to, and storage of any number of items commonly carried by air travelers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a portable organizer, which can be used to store and organize any number of items commonly carried while traveling, such as tissues, medicine bottles, writing utensils, playing cards, etc. It is a further aspect of the present invention that it can be folded into a handbag with handles to facilitate its use as carry-on luggage or a so-called “personal item.” The present invention can also comprise straps, which allow the user to secure the opened portable organizer to a standard fold-down tray table found aboard most commercial airliners.

The above aspect can be obtained by an apparatus that includes: A portable organizing apparatus which can be used as a handbag in one configuration and can be removably attached to a commercial airliner's fold-down tray table, in a second configuration comprising: a substantially planer body having an exterior side and an interior side, wherein the substantially planar body can be capable of being folded along a line bisecting said body; one or more straps, attached to the exterior of the substantially planar body, which can be used to removably attach said planar body to a commercial airliner's fold-down tray table; a plurality of pockets and other fastening devices; and one or more carrying handles attached to the exterior of the substantially planar body.

These, together with other aspects and advantages, which will subsequently become apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a drawing depicting a portable organizer in an open configuration revealing its interior, which further comprises several pockets and other item securing devices, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a drawing depicting a portable organizer in a closed configuration revealing its exterior, where carrying handles and straps for removably securing said tote can be attached, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a frontal view of a portable organizer in an open configuration revealing its interior and removably attached to a tray table such as those commonly found on commercial airliners, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a portable organizer in an open configuration revealing its interior and removably attached to a tray table such as those commonly found on commercial airliners, according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description, relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,”, “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.

Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

The present general inventive concept relates to a portable organizer, which can be carried as a handbag in its closed configuration and can be removably attached to a standard tray table found on most commercial airliners in its open configuration.

FIG. 1 is a drawing depicting a portable organizer 100 in an open configuration revealing its interior, which further comprises several pockets 101 and other item securing devices, according to an embodiment.

A portable organizer 100 can be of a substantially planar shape when in its open configuration. The portable organizer 100 can be constructed of a durable fabric, polymer, leather or other suitable material known in the art. The interior of said portable organizer 100 can contain any number of pockets 101 which can be used to securely hold any number of items commonly carried by air travelers. Such items can include pens, pencils, glasses, prescription bottles, facial tissues, books, magazines (not pictured), and many other items with sizes and shapes similar to that of the items listed. The tops of these pockets 101 can contain elastic or other similar material 102, which act to cinch the tops of said pockets 101 closed. This feature 102 could be critically important in holding the contents inside said pockets 101 if an aircraft (not pictured) in which the present invention was being used, were to experience turbulence.

FIG. 2 is a drawing depicting a portable organizer 200 in a closed configuration revealing its exterior, where carrying handles 204 and straps 205 for removably securing said portable organizer 200 can be attached, according to an embodiment.

A portable organizer 200 can be of a substantially planar shape when it is in its closed configuration. The portable organizer 200 can be placed in its closed configuration by simply folding it once at a line bisecting its length. It can be held in this closed configuration by holding the two handles 204 located at either end of the organizer 200, which are brought together by the folding described above, or it can be held in this closed configuration by a fastener such as one or more buttons, a zipper, one or more VELCRO containing straps 205 or some other suitable fastening device known in the art (not pictured).

FIG. 2 also reveals one securing strap 205 which can be used to removably attach the portable organizer 200 to a tray table (not pictured). One or more of these straps 205 can be fastened to the exterior of the portable organizer 200. Each strap 205 should be attached with sufficient length to form a loop, which can be used to (wrap around) the tray table (not pictured) securing the portable organizer 200 to the tray table. Many of the fold-down tray tables commonly found on airliners contain brackets attached to the outside edges of the tray itself. These brackets make it impossible to slip the securing straps 205 around the outside of the tray table. Therefore, these straps 205 must include a break forming a first end 206 and a second end 207 of said straps 205, and said ends 206 and 207 can either be connected or disconnected from one another. This connection is ideally formed by a the use of VELCRO on each of the said ends 206 and 207, but other connecting devices, such as knots, buttons, clasps, or other suitable connectors known in the art may be used. Indeed, the same VELCRO containing straps 206 and 207, which can be used to removably attach the portable organizer 200 to the tray table, can also be used to hold it together in its closed configuration by closing the loop, described above, around the portable organizer 200 in its closed configuration.

FIG. 3 is a frontal view of a portable organizer 300 in an open configuration revealing its interior and removably attached to a fold-down tray table 308 such as those commonly found on commercial airliners, according to an embodiment.

The portable organizer 300 in FIG. 3 is attached to a fold-down tray table 308, which is in its upright and locked position. In this figure, the portable organizer 300 is attached with two securing straps 305 which are thin enough so as to allow the tray table 308 to be locked into its upright position. However, the portable organizer 300 can be attached in to the top of the fold-down tray table 308 when it is in the down position (not pictured). The portable organizer 300 in this figure is shown containing a pen 309, a pill bottle 310, and a deck of playing cards 311.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a portable organizer 400 in an open configuration revealing its interior and removably attached to a tray table 408 such as those commonly found on commercial airliners, according to an embodiment.

This figure illustrates how a securing strap 405 can be wrapped around the tray table 408 in order to removably attach the portable organizer 400 to the tray table 408.

Although the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments of the invention, which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention. 

1. A portable organizing apparatus which can be used as a handbag in one configuration and can be removably attached to a fold-down tray table, in a second configuration comprising: a substantially planer body having an exterior side and an interior side, wherein the substantially planar body can be capable of being folded along a line bisecting said body to create the handbag configuration wherein the interior side is hidden and the exterior side forms the exterior of said handbag; and a plurality of pockets and other fastening devices are attached to said interior side.
 2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the fold down tray table is one of those commonly attached to the back of a seat such as those found on a typical commercial airliner.
 3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable organizing apparatus comprises one or more straps, attached to the exterior of the substantially planar body, which can be used to removably attach said planar body to a fold-down tray table.
 4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein one or more of the straps comprise VELCRO for attaching one or more straps to one or more other straps.
 5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable organizing apparatus comprises one or more carrying handles attached to the exterior of the substantially planar body.
 6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable organizing apparatus comprises one or more fastening devices, such as a zipper or buttons, which can be used to retain the apparatus in the handbag configuration.
 7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the pockets comprising the portable organizing apparatus further comprise elastic or some other cinching mechanism to hold the openings of said pockets closed.
 8. A method for transporting and storing items while traveling, the method comprising: providing a portable organizing apparatus which can be used as a handbag in one configuration and can be removably attached to a fold-down tray table, in a second configuration comprising a substantially planer body having an exterior side and an interior side, wherein the substantially planar body can be capable of being folded along a line bisecting said body, one or more straps, attached to the exterior of the substantially planar body, which can be used to removably attach said planar body to a commercial airliner's fold-down tray table, a plurality of pockets and other fastening devices, and one or more carrying handles attached to the exterior of the substantially planar body; placing a number of items to be stored or transported in the pockets or other fastening devices in to the portable organizing apparatus in its second configuration; transforming the portable organizing apparatus into a handbag configuration by folding it once along a line bisecting it lengthwise in order to transport said apparatus; and transforming the portable organizing apparatus into a substantially planar configuration and removably attaching the portable organizing apparatus to a fold-down tray table using said straps in order to store and access items in the pockets and other fastening devices comprising the apparatus. 